


hope is the only god left among mankind

by theparacosm



Category: DreamSMP, Slimecicle Cinematic Universe - Fandom, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Charlie Slimecicle Dream SMP Fanlore, Pandora's Box, i don't have to justify this, it's just me exploring the potential slimecicle has in the lore, note: charlie's backstory is part of the slimecicle cinematic universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-12 01:01:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29626719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theparacosm/pseuds/theparacosm
Summary: Charlie's appearance on the Dream SMP was a canonical one-shot, apparently.Thanks to yours truly...not anymore.
Relationships: Charlie Dalgleish & Clay | Dream, Charlie Dalgleish & Ranboo, Charlie Dalgleish & TommyInnit, Charlie Dalgleish & Wilbur Soot, Nothing Romantic But Reiterated Just In Case You Guys Didn't See It, Nothing Romantic So Don't Be Weird About It
Comments: 14
Kudos: 99





	1. He's A Slimy Guy, Really

**Tommy, not for the first time in his life, regretted walking into Pandora's Box.**   


The Prime-damned prison stood out like a sore thumb even when Tommy had no intentions of entering, a constant reminder of the being held inside it. A reminder of what that man--man?--had done to him, to Tubbo, to L'Manberg and to every individual on the server.

Sometimes, when he and Tubbo revisited the bench, he'd see the hallway, filled with indents and cages and item frames and the _discs_. He'd hear Dream's voice and he'd remember the exile, though it was so far way, so impossible to return to.

He hadn't believed Sam when he said the prison was unbreachable, inescapable. It was a monstrosity to look at--looming and dark, red, black and gold looming behind the crater that was L'Manberg. Even in all it's commanding glory, Tommy had thought that Dream would escape. Even though Dream had escorted him and Tubbo down there himself, allowed them to witness the massive birdcage that was the prison, there was still a tug in his gut that said Dream would find _some_ way to get out.

He'd brought this up with Tubbo before, after his old friend had established Snowchester and the rather obvious nuclear factory smack-dab in the middle of the snowy country. What they would do if Dream managed to escape, tried to come after them again. Tubbo and him had formulated an elaborate plan--for the first time, they would be ten steps ahead of Dream. He'd have to react to _them_ , not the other way around.

The plan was achingly simple to those who knew it, but unguessable to those who had no inkling of the concept. If Dream were to escape Pandora's box, the obvious play would be to launch a nuke straight over Dream's head as he ran away from the prison. Even the legendary speedrunner would be helpless in the face of such mass destruction. It would be a taste of his own medicine.

That was Tommy's plan, one Tubbo had shut down _very_ quickly.

And Tubbo had given Tommy his own plan. Only the two of them were in on it, and it had been undefeatable. It ran along the lines of Tommy faking his death and using the Egg against Dream, with too many variables planned for to get far into.

But they had missed out on one possibility. You see, neither boy had expected Tommy to be _in_ the prison when Dream made his move.

Tommy didn't even know if this was Dream's plan or not. It would be logical to assume it was, but the surprise in his tone when he had heard the TNT was almost indistinguishable from the surprise of Punz walking through the nether portal with the entirety of the SMP behind him.

Tubbo's plan required Tommy to be away from Dream, not across an obsidian room from him.

Tommy's eyes never left Dream. He hadn't had contact from Sam in over three days, and hadn't slept for just as long. Tommy hated it--it reminded him too much of the exile. Dream was, of course, hospitable to Tommy, providing him with food and attempting to speak with him, but Tommy wasn't going to have it. He was stronger than Dream--not in raw strength, but because of his friends, his allies, and his comrades. And because of them, he could hope that he would be able to get out of here.

Dream leaned over his lecturn, bright white prison outfit in stark contrast to the black and purple room. His hair had gotten longer during his time in prison, greasy at the roots and frazzled from being burned and doused in water over and over again. If he hadn't been who he was, Tommy would feel bad for him.

"Day four, Tommy," Dream said, turning back to him. Tommy looked up from where he sat; on the other end of the blackstone line. He silently hoped that Sam would raise it at some point, provide him with some separation from the man who had taken so much from him.

Dream raised an eyebrow, scar across his eye stretching over his face. "I don't think he's going to lift the barrier, you know."

Tommy ignored the statement. He knew better than to take Dream's bait. Instead, he changed to a different topic. He didn't expect an answer for the question he was about to pose, but he wanted to see if Sam was listening in, if Sam could tell that Tommy was innocent. "Dream...were you trying to escape?"  


Dream's green eyes glinted malevolently, one of the irises torn by the scar. "Was it, Tommy?"

_Should've known better,_ Tommy thought to himself, leaning back against the obsidian wall. "Dream, you know this prison is impossible to get out of."  


"Is it?" Dream asked, looking pointedly upwards, where Sam's nametag could be seen faintly. "If you say so, why did you try to blow it up?"

"That wasn't me!" Tommy hollered, losing his self-control for an instant. Dream's expression remained perfectly neutral, as if his real face was actually the mask. "That wasn't me, Dream. You're trying to frame me again, just like you did with the community house. My friends aren't stupid, Dream. They won't fall for the same tricks again."

"Tommy, do you _really_ think I could orchestrate this while inside this cell?" Dream spread his arms as far as they could go with his shackles, looking around the room. "I have no _idea_ what anyone's doing out there, outside of what you and other people have told me! You've taken me out of the SMP, Tommy...I can't do anything."

Tommy looked up at Dream, blue eyes on green. "It's because you're alone, Dream." 

The man was silent, though he didn't break Tommy's gaze. "Doesn't look like it, Tommy."

"Here's the difference between you and me, Dream," Tommy said, his voice steadying as he got to his feet. "I have friends. You pushed all of yours away because you wanted power. You wanted control. And now you control nothing!"

"Naive as ever, Tommy," Dream murmured, flipping through a few pages on his book. "I'm sure you thought I didn't know about Tubbo's plan if I escaped?"

Tommy drew in a harsh breath before he could stop himself. Dream had to be bluffing. There was no way anyone knew about that! It was only him and Tubbo and...

Dream's face cracked into a smile, maniacal as Tommy's face widened in realization. He didn't have to say anything as Tommy scrambled away from Dream.

"That's not possible," Tommy said, his back heating up as he got closer to the molten lava wall. "He...He wouldn't do that."

"Would he?" Dream asked, shutting the book on the lectern and pulling out a new one, this one with a painted black and white spine. Tommy's eyes widened in horror as Dream continued to read in silence. "He's told me a lot of things, recently. I never thought you'd have the gall to fake your death, especially since you've already done it once, but you're a little bit behind on the times, I think."

"Ranboo would never betray us," Tommy said, his voice shakier than he would've liked. "He chooses people, and you're hardly a person."

"To be fair, he's hardly a person either," Dream said, and Tommy grinded his teeth as Dream looked up at him from his book. 

"Ranboo hasn't even visited the prison!" Tommy yelped, his voice cracking a little bit. "You're lying, Dream. You're trying to take away what few alliances I have! But it's not going to work. Maybe faking my death wouldn't have fooled you, but you're not going to fool me."

Tommy looked up to see that Sam's name had disappeared. His blood ran cold, and Dream smiled wider. "Ranboo's a special case. He's connected to me in a way you will never be able to understand. He doesn't understand it either, but he's helping me."

"You shut up," Tommy said angrily, clenching his fists and feeling his nails dig into his palms. "All you do is lie, Dream."

"Who's Slimecicle?" Dream asked, looking up from the book once more.

Tommy was silent, and Dream continued to look at him.

"You don't need to answer, really," Dream said, looking down at the notebook. "I can only assume that he's a new member here."

Tommy looked at Dream with a neutral expression, though his mind was racing. If what Dream was saying had some truth to it, and Ranboo was communicating with Dream from outside the prison, that meant Ranboo might have something to do with the bombs.

"Ranboo didn't...he didn't tell you anything about Slime?" Tommy said carefully.

"Well, there's not much to say, now, is there?" Dream asked, before reading off what Ranboo had told him. "Get slime and stick for Slimecicle. Avoid mentioning crimes. Offer basement home."

"Oh, Prime," Tommy said. It was his turn to split a grin. "He's told you nothing about Charlie."

"Charlie?" Dream asked, and Tommy pursed his lips. Dream pulled out a quill and began to write. "Charlie...Slimecicle. Fun name. Is he a funny guy?"

"He's burgers," Tommy said simply, and turned away from Dream to hide his overjoyed smile. As of the moment, Charlie was the one individual that Dream had _nothing_ on. No information to blackmail, items to steal. Charlie was currently nothing more than a name and a slimeball on a stick. 

Sam's name suddenly appeared in the lava, and Tommy let out an audible shriek as the blackstone wall lifted up behind him.

"Tommy Innit," Sam said in his monotonous voice, muffled slighly by the molten lava separating them. "Your prison sentence has been extended indefinitely."

The smile melted off of Tommy's face faster than one could perish in the lava before him. "Wha--what? I--I don't understand. Is this some kind of joke?" 

Sam paused for a moment. "No joke. There's evidence at the bomb scene that you may have been responsible. You and Tubbo Underscore, of course."

Tommy paled, and Dream hummed the tune of _Mellohi_ softly. "...What?"

"Nuclear debris and a block of bedrock," Sam said simply, and Tommy's eyes widened even more, the lava scorching his face. He ignored the heat in his shock. 

"I didn't do that!" Tommy shouted through the lava, which bubbled in front of him menacingly. "How would I even get bedroc--" He cut himself off, slowly turning back to Dream. "Drista?"

Dream was silent, though Tommy knew his sister had nothing to do with this. Somehow, someone had accessed his ender chest and had stolen his Bedrock...unless Techno had something to do with this. Was his betrayal enough to make Techno frame him and lock him up with Dream? No...

And the nuclear bombs...Tubbo would never do that. 

"There's something wrong with this, Sam!" Tommy continued to yell, his voice increasing in volume with each sentence. "I passed all your tests! I didn't do this!"

"This was in the waiver," Sam said after a lengthy pause. "Unless someone can prove otherwise, you and Tubbo just attempted to assassinate Dream. You will be transferred from this cell in three hours. The blackstone barrier will not go down, in order to protect Dream from you."

"Dream--Dream from _me_?" Tommy almost whimpered. "Sam, don't do this! I didn't do this...Sam!"

The creeper hybrid had disappeared once more, and Tommy let out a pained gasp. He could handle being in the prison with Dream--hell, he could even handle being alone in a cell. But bringing _Tubbo_ into this was unforgivable. 

"Sam, you bastard!" Tommy shrieked. "Check it again!"

"He's not here," Dream said, sounding a lot closer than Tommy would've liked. Tommy whipped around and grabbed Dream by the scruff of his white shirt. 

"How did you plan this out?" Tommy yelled, pulling Dream halfway over the barrier. "Who did you manipulate? Jack? Techno? Quackity?"

Dream smiled dangerously. "I haven't manipulated anyone, Tommy. You're the one whose trying to kill me again, after all."

"I am--I am not trying to kill you!" Tommy said, his grip tightening on Dream's shirt. "You son of a bit--"

Tommy felt something shatter against his back, and his grip loosened on Dream's shirt. The blond-haired man staggered away, overexaggerating the interaction greatly.

"Wh..." Tommy staggered backwards, managing to tip himself forwards before he fell head-first into the lava. "What's happening."

"Insurance," Dream said neutrally as Tommy dropped to his knees. "Weakness potion, Tommy. You're really only proving Sam's point here."

Tommy felt something else hit him in the back, and everything went black.

* * *

"I didn't do anything, Sam!"

Charlie looked on with horror as Tubbo lifted his hands in surrender under the gaze of Sam's Warden Bow. He looked between the half-ram and the half-creeper with a worried expression, before opening his mouth to retaliate. "Hey, Sam, man, uh, I don't think Tubbo actually did whatever you...think he did?"

He sounded so hesitant that he wouldn't have believed himself. To be fair, he had no earthly idea of why Tubbo was being arrested. Sam seemed like a nice guy, and so did Tubbo...so what the hell did Tubbo do to make Sam this aggressive towards him?

"If we're doing another bit about arresting someone, I think you've gone a little over the _bar_ ," Charlie said light-heartedly, to which Sam looked at him with dark, glittering eyes. That shut the guy up real fast.

"Slimecicle, Tubbo Underscore and Tommy Innit are being taken into custody for the bombing of Pandora's Vault."

"What?" Charlie asked, immediately looking towards the nuclear launch systems across the half-frozen lake. "But...but that's not even possible. Tubbo--"

"It doesn't matter what you think, simply what the evidence states," Sam said harshly, giving Charlie whiplash from the man he'd met to the man he was looking at right now. "And until further notice, the two of them are criminals who do need to be incarcerated."

"Do they not--do they not get a court trial?" Charlie asked as he looked around. Jack and Foolish had come out of their houses to watch the spectacle, one of them horrified and the other one somewhat intrigued. "Like...the right to an attorney?"

Sam was silent, so Charlie continued on.

"Clearly not," Charlie muttered to himself. "But, Sam, my dude. Is there not a slightly more...oh, I don't know, more hospitable prison? I mean...what do you think they were trying to do?"

"Assassinate Dream," Sam said simply, and Charlie let out a strangled noise, unable to reply to that. "Whether Dream's crimes warrant his death or not, it's not their job to decide what's right and wrong."

"And it's yours?" Charlie asked, raising an eyebrow as a slime began to slip off of his head. "Sam, they're _kids_."

"One of them is running a nation, and the other one is a war criminal on several accounts," Sam said coldly. "I didn't make the decision to do this, Slimecicle. They did."

"They?" Charlie asked, and Sam looked up at him, something red glimmering in his eyes. "Okay...I don't think that's related to being a creeper, Sam. Have you been getting enough sleep?"

"I'm fine, Slimecicle," Sam said, his tone gaining an edge. "Now go back to your business before I take you in, too."

"Wh..." Slimecicle stared at Sam again, and Tubbo gave him a terse shake of the head. Charlie caught the slime as it slipped off of his head, and walked over to Tubbo. Sam turned his bow on him, and Charlie raised his hands a little. "I'm just letting Pudi say good-bye, Mr. Warden. He and Tubbo've been very close lately." Tubbo met Charlie's green-eyed gaze through the man's glasses. "Come on, Mister Prez. Say good-bye to the little guy."

"Good--goodbye," Tubbo said, patting Pudi on the head. The slime nudged against Tubbo's hand, before leaning away and leaving nothing but a slimy green splotch in it's place. "Are we still allowed visits?"

"Yes, but they will be closely monitored," Sam said as he pulled some cuffs out of his bag, slapping them on Tubbo's hands and escorting him away. "And Charlie," the creeper turned back, eyes glinting red. "Don't try anything stupid, yeah?"

"Come on, dude," Charlie said with a half-humored laugh. "I'm not a stupid guy. Maybe a little icky, but definitely not stupid." 

And with that, Sam and Tubbo were off across the bridge from Snowchester to the mainland. Foolish and Jack went back into their respective cabins in total silence, and Slimecicle looked back down at Pudi with a knowing expression.

"Well, come on," Slime said as he looked down at his little friend. "It's not stupid if it works, right?"

Pudi cooed, shifting around on Charlie's palm. Pudi opened their mouth, revealing a snaggle tooth, and bit down on Charlie's thumb before disappearing. Charlie's hand retained a greenish transparency for a moment, before returning to it's fleshier color.

"Alright," Charlie said as he turned to Snowchester's Declaration of Independence. "I think it's time to make like a banana...and split."

He paused for a moment. "No...no, that doesn't make sense." Charlie stroked his chin. "I'll come up with a better pun when the time comes. But until then...it's time to make like CG5 and see a Dreamer."


	2. Moral Scale On Shades Of Green

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie Slimecicle decides to speak to Dream, one green man to another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe that I'll mention a few things in here. The inspiration to write this came from @citychu on Twitter! Also, I'm not a massive fan of the Dream SMP--not that I don't like it, just that I don't watch it all that much outside of a few creators.
> 
> I believe I should add a little but of a CW for panic attacks. I never know what warrants a CW or TW, but better be safe than sorry.

**"You're receiving a visitor."**

Dream looked up from his book, snapping it shut with a raised eyebrow. Sam always notified him when a visitor would be arriving, but Dream wasn't all that sure who it was. Bad and Sapnap only came so often, Tommy was locked up, and Ranboo still had no idea what was going on. He ran through the list of people who had the gall to visit him in his mind, especially right after an 'assassination' attempt on his life. Dream tested the resolve of his shackles as he heard hundreds of dispensers click off, and the blackstone barrier raised in an instant.

Dream kept his eyes on the lava, holding his book in hand. Green eyes almost willed the lava to move for him, to divulge who was attempting to visit him at such a time. Not anyone he cared about--he had checked them off the list. Unless...no, he wouldn't come here. Dream didn't need the hope, not now, when he had Tommy in a second cell right down the way from his own. Not as high-security, he surmised, but he knew how much Tommy would despise being locked in the same general area as him.

A smile split his face, devilish and expectant. If it wasn't anyone he knew, there was a chance he could manipulate them into helping him with the next stage of his escape. A stage, of course, that would devastate Tommy past any recognition. He truly couldn't wait.

The lava finally dripped away from the entrance to his prison cell, and a man with light brown hair stared at him, strangely well-balanced on the platform. He wore khaki cargo shorts, bright red sneakers, and a white shirt with three hearts printed on it. Dream didnt' recognize him at all, and ran through more possibilities on the man's identity. Another one of Quackity's practical jokes? No...this was a new member. Not Hannah, not Foolish, but...

"Charlie Slimecicle," Dream said as the man stepped off of the platform, staying a good ways away from the blackstone barrier. "Watch out...you're standing right where the lava's going to drop."

Charlie crouched and looked up, to the ceiling of the prison, seeing hundreds of dispensers that suddenly dropped laval. Charlie's glasses became opaque in the blinding light, and he took a step forward. "Well, thank you, man!" He stepped a little closer to Dream, taking off his glasses and wiping them with his shirt as he stared at the man. His curious eyes betrayed his motives--he came here to learn about Dream. "So, Dream...what's a Dreamon?"

Dream couldn't control his reaction just for an instant, his face contorting into one of confusion. The existence of Dreamons wasn't exactly guarded information, but it was an interesting opening card for the new guy to play. Suddenly, he wasn't even sure if Slimecicle was interested in him, so much as other things. It wasn't a coincidence that he came to visit immediately after Tommy was imprisoned. "I'm not sure, Charlie."

"Oh, that's alright. Guess I'll dream _on_ until someone can tell me what they are." Charlie said, and Dream didn't even crack a grin at his pun. He and Dream stared at each other in silence for a moment, and the lava finally came down behind Charlie, and the blackstone barrier lowered. Neither of them moved, as if they were in some silent standoff, before Charlie shifted his stance and offered a friendly smile. "So...what're you in for?"

The tension was broken in an instant, and Charlie moved away from Dream and over to the pool of water in the back corner. "Is this where you...?" He left the question unfinished, and Dream watched him carefully. Was the guy just stupid, or was he deliberately switching topics to throw Dream off his game. This is why he didn't like not knowing people. It was dangerous for him and his plans for the SMP.

"No," Dream said, stepping forwards to Charlie. "Here, kill me."

"Kill--" Charlie swallowed hard, looking more than a little confused. "Kill you? I don't think--"

"It's fine," Dream said, trying to keep the tone friendly until he could learn more about the man. As soon as he figured out who his allies were, his grip on the SMP tightened even further, even though he was behind bars. "It's not canonical or anything."

"Well, alright," Charlie said, and he socked Dream in the stomach. He was surprisingly strong, and Dream buckled over from the impact. Charlie threw another punch at Dream sending him dangerously close to the lava. Dream plummeted in as he staggered back, and Charlie let out a series of what sounded like ape noises as Dream disappeared from existence in front of him, only leaving a sack of potatoes.

"He was potatoes all along," Charlie said softly, walking over to the bag and picking it up. Dream slammed back into the prison, his hair soaked with water, and Charlie let out another yelp. "You scared me, man! Thought you got baked!"

And with that sentence, Dream decided that the man was stupid. 

"I guess lava really doesn't keep people dead." Charlie passed Dream his sack of potatoes. "So...what're you in for?" He repeated the question in the same tone as before, though this time it wasn't followed up by a question on where he takes his shits. "I thought I'd ask the guy himself."

Dream ran over his options here. He had a chance to gain a new puppet here, a new person to play with and blackmail, if he played his cards right. "Well, I just wanted to spend time with my friends."

"I don't think you're doing that all too well," Charlie said, glancing around the room. "Tommy told me you had no friends."

"Not anymore," Dream said softly, leaving the reason up to Charlie's imagination.

"Oh, alright," Charlie said, glancing at the lectern before sitting down against the wall. "I don't think spending time with your friends is a _crime_ , though."

"It goes a little further than that, I'll admit," Dream said, running his hands through his hair. "I wanted to unite the SMP--no more war, no more conflict, just one big family. But...I don't know...I guess they didn't like it all that much." He looked up at Charlie, who was putting his glasses back on, and their eyes met for a moment. Dream's vision blurred for an instant, and a golden halo of wheat fluttered over Charlie's head before disappearing. Dream's eyes widened, and Charlie looked at him in surprise.

"You wanted to make a family?" Charlie asked, an arm over his knee as he looked up at Dream. 

Dream got over his surprise quickly. "Yes...and I succeeded, for a moment, but they always fall back into petty conflicts whenever I'm not around."

"They're doing fine, actually," Charlie said, the way he posed the statement almost distancing himself from Dream's 'family'. Charlie looked up at Dream again, but Dream's strange hallucination didn't reappear. "I think either you succeeded, or they never needed you at all."

There was a tonal shift in Charlie's voice at that, and Dream considered it for a moment--did they need him? The thought didnt' last for long, but the fact that the new guy made him doubt himself for even an instant made him furious. "I think it's time you leave."

"Oh, alright," Charlie said grudgingly as he drew out the statement. He pushed to his feet, looking at the lava wall. "I think Sam's got the right idea with your prison, though." Dream raised an eyebrow at that, and Charlie turned to him with the strangest expression. It almost looked like deja vu. "Trapping bad guys beneath a shit ton of lava really is a novel idea." Slimecicle turned back to the lava wall, crossing his arms. "Yeah, uh, Mr. Warden, I think I'll be leaving."

"I'm not a bad guy," Dream said, sounding hurt. "I just made a couple mistakes...I'm learning."

"Learn faster," Charlie said, his voice cold. "The only people I know who said that only changed when they were dead."

"And who might they be?" Dream asked before he could police himself.

The blackstone barrier raised with a click, and Charlie turned back to him as the lava lowered past his feet. Dream's vision flashed again to a man standing at the rin of a volcano, two figures in deep blue and bright red hovering over him. "Old friends."

* * *

Charlie figured he'd learned quite a bit about this Dream guy. He was a lot scarier than he thought, and Charlie might've overshared a bit. There was something about the guy that made you want to share with him.

Charlie continued to make his way out of the prison, still shocked at the measures they were taking to keep Dream captive. Physical checks, potions, beds, obsidian and redstone all around. It was appalling. It was like they were keeping something more than a man in there. Maybe they were. Charlie wondered if Dream could see the Traces of the Old Worlds, the times past and the lands destroyed. If that was the case, it really would explain why Dream kept staring at him.

Maybe he was frustrated that someone was stealing his brand of a green circular entity.

"So, Sam, you gotta tell me," Charlie said as he took his stuff out of Locker 2. "What even compelled you to build this prison?"

Sam was silent, and Charlie turned back to him. "Make sure to deposit the locker key here, Slimecicle."

"Right, okay," Charlie said, handing the small key to the creeper-hybrid. "Can I see Tubbo and Tommy?"

"Not right now," Sam said a little too quickly than for what was normal. "They're currently in processing."

"Wh--" Charlie's eyes went wide as saucers. "Processing?"

"Yes." Same didn't elaborate any further, and Charlie was almost too afraid to ask.

Almost.

"Dream asked you to make this prison, didn't he?" Charlie said as he walked towards the exit. Sam's beady eyes widened for just a moment, and Charlie waited in front of the unlit portal. "That's kind of ironic, right?"

"Dream didn't tell me to," Sam said earnestly.

"Oh, okay," Charlie muttered. "Well, if you can, tell Tommy and Tubbo I said hello, and that I'll be coming very soon."

"Of course," Sam said, and he lit the portal, allowing Charlie to slip through and swirl into nonexistence.

Charlie looked around at the small waiting building, knowing he was in the Nether from the oppressive heat all around him. The room was white, in stark contrast to the realm outside, and Charlie looked down at his hands. A poppy sat in the left one, and Charlie set it down at the foot of the portal.

"I haven't forgotten yet, Grizz," Charlie murmured, before stepping to the portal and out of the prison entirely. He was left breathless by his entry to the Nether--even being surrounded by so much lava had thrown him off his game. He couldn't come up with one decent pun for the entirety of his time with Dream. And walking through all of the lava...definitely brought back some memories.

He didn't remember much. Bits and pieces of a life long forgotten. He remembered Grizzly, Condi, Bizly...the wolves and the apple and the button. And _Schlatt_. Charlie was glad that he'd arrived in a place where the menace was already dead. After everything he'd done. Charlie still left an apple at the man's grave, though. The man had destroyed the life he'd known...he wasn't even sure why he was alive. Everything was spotty after Schlatt rose from the volcano. Thankfully, Charlie didn't really need to remember that. The life he was in right now didn't need that. He had enough on his plate. Two of his friends in prison was enough.

There wasn't a moment's respite for him, however, because at the exact moment he stepped out of the prison, Ranboo materialized out of thin air. Charlie let out an unearthly shriek as he looked at the man, whose eyes were a strange purple. "Ranboo, you alright?"

Ranboo made a noise that sounded remarkably like an Enderman, before walking right past Charlie and towards the prison. Charlie watched him pull out a boat and swim towards the prison wall, hanging a right and then going around back. Curious, Charlie followed him, calling out his name. "Ranboo! Hey, Ranboo! Am I pronouncing your name wrong?" Charlie cupped his hands as he ran along the coast beside him. "Dude, come on! You're acting very strange! Aw, come on, is it because I stole the nuke?"

Ranboo stopped at that, turning to him and making another enderman noise. Charlie felt his spine straighten as his eyes met Ranboo's. There was something about his gaze that made him terrified. It was nothing like the man he knew. Charlie generally didn't have the mental capacity to realize why he was scared, but this seemed to be an exception. He could only watch in dead silence as Ranboo made his way over to a small hole in the prison and began to mine at it, pattern rhythmic and deadened. Charlie watched in shock.

"Are you breaking Tommy out?" Charlie asked as he waded into the water, making his way over to Ranboo. "If so, I think I have a better way." Ranboo ignored him, continuing to mine on. He mined at one obsidian block, his body heaving with each attempt. Charlie could only watch as the man continued to mine, going from confusion to horror as Ranboo continued on, his hands beginning to bleed from the friction.

"Alright man, alright! That's enough!" Charlie lunged forwards, grabbing Ranboo and pulling his arm away. Ranboo thrashed in Charlie's grip, his mouth opening wide, tongue and inner mouth purple. His movements threw Charlie backwards into the water, the half-enderman following. Ranboo let out a shriek of pain, writhing in the water. His skin began to boil as he scrambled in the water, and Charlie picked up on what was happening fairly quickly.

"Oh, shit, shit, shit..." Charlie grabbed Ranboo by the waist and hoisted him upwards over his head, making for the shore as fast as he could. Ranboo didn't stop thrashing, his netherite armor dripping in water. Charlie held on for dear life and then tossed the man down on the shore. "Oh, I'm so sorry, oh, shit..." He took Ranboo's helmet off as the man thrashed. "Stop moving, haha," Charlie laughed nervously as he tossed Ranboo's armor away. The enderman was steaming and his skin was burned, and Charlie looked around desperately for something to dry him off. 

After a a few moments, he had managed to get Ranboo's armor off, leaving him in soaking clothing. His crown was askew, and Charlie took off his sash belt and patted Ranboo's face dry. The Enderman had fallen unconscious from the pain, and Charlie felt guilt roiling in his stomach. "Fuck..."

The sun was rising over the prison, and Ranboo still hadn't stopped steaming. Charlie pulled a healing potion out of his bright pink hip pouch, and managed to get it down Ranboo's throat without choking the guy. The burns on his body began to dissipate slightly, and Charlie continued to pat Ranboo dry on the areas of exposed skin, before moving over to the nearby forest and picking up some herbs. He knew each one by name, and though he wasn't entirely sure how, he was glad it helped Ranboo.

He crumpled the herbs in his hands and smashed them, before Pudi appeared out of nowhere and began to chew on the herbs, dissolving them into a paste. Since his digestive system was entirely slime, Charlie found no issue with using it to spread around Ranboo's more severe burns. His stomach was still twisted with guilt as he smeared the paste on Ranboo's bloodied hands. 

"S...slime?" Ranboo croaked out, and Charlie looked up from his place at Ranboo's side. "What...what's going on?"

Charlie looked into the man's eyes, the purple replaced with red and green. Charlie spared a glance at the small hole in the prison, before turning back to Ranboo and pressing his lips together. "I'm not sure, man. You...man, I don't know. We need to get out of here, though." Charlie looked across the coast to see Sam walking out of the prison. "If Sam there sees us, he just might _blow_ his top." He laughed to himself as he wrapped Ranboo's arm around his shoulder. "Fucking christ, dude, you're tall."

Ranboo only nodded. "My throat--burns...Charlie...did I drink water?"

Charlie grimaced. "Maybe just a little. Do you not _lake_ it?"

"Are you stress-punning?" Ranboo asked as Charlie power-walked into the forest, the Enderman limping alongside him and still being faster. 

" _Water_ you talking about?" Charlie said as they continued to dash through the forest. He let out a worried laugh. "I may have dropped you into a body of water."

Ranboo winced, before frowning. "Wait...how?"

"You were trying to get into the prison," Charlie said, stopping for a moment and leaning Ranboo up against the tree. "Here, here's another health pot," He handed Ranboo one of the potions, and the half-enderman downed it, the burns on his face disappearing entirely. "I assume you were trying to get Tommy out, right?"

"..." Ranboo was silent, his eyes strangely wide. "I was...breaking into the prison?"

"That's what it looked like," Charlie said as he tied his sash back over his waist. "Or you were obsidian farming in hardcore mode."

Ranboo let out a shaky breath, and he began to shake violently. The glass vial in his hand hit the grass and shattered from the height. Ranboo's mouth opened and he began to spew a serious of words too fast for Charlie to understand. 

"You are fine, you are fine," Ranboo muttered to himself, his hands limp as he picked up some grass, clutching it close."I can't tell anyone the truth...Dream is the reason, Dream is the reason."

"Hey, Ranboo, Ranboo!" Charlie said, getting closer to the Enderman slowly, as if he were approaching a wild animal. "Calm down! I stopped you before you could do anything." Ranboo didn't stop, pressing himself up against the tree as if he wanted to dissolve into it. Ranboo's eyes were blank with fear. Charlie took a gamble and grabbed Ranboo's hand, since it was the only thing he could reach. Grass hit the ground as Charlie looked back up at Ranboo, the Enderman peering down at him. "You _are_ fine. You're safe, Ranboo. Right? I mean, we're in the middle of a forest in Prime knows where, but we're not in any danger at the moment."

Ranboo went silent, and Charlie let go of Ranboo's hand. Ranboo looked at Charlie for a long time, seeming to consider something very heavily. There was doubt in his eyes, and he rubbed his face in worry. He felt herbal paste on his cheeks, and looked down at Charlie. "Did you put this on?"

"It should help with the burns," Charlie said honestly. "Or at least, I think it will. Might be a placebo, Ran _bo._ "

And that decided it. Ranboo's jaw set and he looked down at Charlie with determination with his duo-tone eyes. Charlie looked up at him through his glasses, the slime on his forehead letting out a high-pitched laugh. The man in front of him had saved his life. He couldn't remember what happened, but something told him that this was a fact.

Charlie had saved his life. This was a fact.

Charlie was here. For him. This was also a fact.

Charlie could be trusted. Is this a fact?

No...this was a gamble. But Ranboo was willing to place a bet on this one.

"Charlie...there's something I need to tell you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	3. Note

This is late at night, and I just wanted to say something. I have not watched any Dream SMP streams past Tommy’s imprisonment. If events coincide with canon I’ll cry but whatever...

Spoiler Alert: I just went on TikTok and my plan for the next chapter is remarkably similar to the canon. Now crying! 

New chapter out tomorrow, expect new perspectives!

**Author's Note:**

> Maybe not so much Charlie Slimecicle in this chapter...I'm setting it up. About halfway through this chapter I discovered a way to weave all the one-shots together into a coherent story, so that's what I'll be doing. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a comment with your thoughts? Constructive criticism is very much appreciated.


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